Internal-combustion engine.



s. w. CARLTON. INTERNAL GOMBUSTIQN ENGINE. APPLICATION FILED NOV. 11, 1912.

, Patented Mar. 24, 1914.

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S. W. CARLTON. INTERNAL GOMBUSTION ENGINE. APPLICATION FILED NOV. 11, 19 12.

Jaw Mn M @v. cM/wm /fMe-' #14 64 Patented. Mar. 24, 1914.

SAMUEL WATKIN CARLTON, or LONDON, ENGLAND. V

IN TERNAL-COMBUSTION ENGINE.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Mar. 24, 1914.

Application filed November 11, 1912. Serial No, 730,678.

To all whom it may concern Be it known that I, SAMUEL WATKIN CARLTON, a subject of the King of England, residing at London, England, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Internal-Combustion Engines, of which the following is a specification.

The present invention is for improvements in or relating to four-stroke cycle internal combustion engines of the kind which are double-acting and which have two cylinders arranged which are connected. These engines give an impulse for every stroke in the manner well known in double-acting steam engines.

According to the primary feature of the present invention there is employed in engines of the kind described above a trunk piston-member having two working pistons upon it, as for connecting or carrying the working pistons, trunk piston members or piston trunks present several advantages over piston rods which have been heretofore used for this purpose.

Between the cylinders the trunk pistonmember may conveniently be guided by a water-cooled partition similarly to the man ner in which the piston rods above mentioned have been guided.

According to another feature of the invention there are employed fixed water-cooled guides or percussion heads completing the inclosure of the outermost combustion chambers and fitting the interior of the trunk piston-member.

Other features of the invention relate to means for cooling the piston-member and will be fully described hereinafter and pointed out in the appended claim.

In the accompanying drawings Figure 1 illustrates an engine constructed according to this invention and is a sectional elevation, Fig. 2 is a plan, partly in full, partly in section showing the arrangement of the valves; and Fig. 3 is a sectional view of a modified construction of trunk piston.

In these drawings A is a single cylindermember, B is a trunk piston-member, C is a crank shaft, and D is a connecting rod or pitman connected to the piston near its lower end by a gudgeon pin E. Suitable valves such as shown at V are cam-operated from a vertical countershaft F suitably geared to the crank shaft O. The various parts are intandem-wise, the pistons of sages A A closed in a crank chamber 0 and a cylinder casing A The single cylinder-member A is divided lnto two double-acting cylinders by the partition A which fits closely to the central trunk portion B of the piston-member B whereof the gudgeon-pin E is secured in the detachable hollow sleeve E which is bolted to the interior of the piston-trunk as at E Packing rings B insure a gas-tight sliding fit to the piston-member. The two doubleacting cylinders A and A are again subdivided by the enlarged portions or doubleactlng pistons B B carried on the trunk B, into two explosion chambers H, H and H H These explosion chambers each have common inlet and exhaust ports K, K K K V V The outermost combustion chambers H, H are inclosed by the fixed guides or percussion heads P P which project from the ends or covers A A; they are provided with packing rings P and work over the faces B of the interior of the trunk.

The cylinder covers and guides have paspassing down through their length into the interior of the hollow trunk which is also open at both ends; they are provided with water'circulating spaces Q, R.

Exhaust and inlet through each of the common cylinder ports K K K K is controlled by mushroom valves V V V V respectively. The valves are arranged in pairs for exhaust and inlet in partly-annular pockets W, in the end walls of which sparking-plugs are screwed for purposes of electrical ignition of the charges. The inlet valves and the exhaust valves respectively open into common passages W W through which the charge or waste products of each combustion space enter or are discharged as the case may be. The water-cooled spaces extend around the valve pockets. Each valve is mounted in a removable guide and seating such as V held in place by screwed-plugs such as V; the usual valve-springs abut upon the upper faces of the guides, and are fixed in the ordinary manner to return the valves to their seatings.

The cam shaft F is vertically arranged between the valve pairs and operates the valves through cams such as F and rockers F F as shown in Fig. 2.

In operation, assuming the trunk to be moving on its upstroke, gas is drawn into the combustion chamber H through the valve V and the port K; a previously indrawn charge in H is compressed, the ports of this chamber being closed; the already compressed charge in H has been ignited to cause the upward motion of the piston and the previously-burnt charge in H is expelled through the valve V and port K into the chamber or outlet W communicating more or less directly with the atmosphere as may be convenient. As the piston returns for its down stroke the charge in the chamber H is compressed, that compressed on the last stroke in the chamber H is fired, the gases from H are exhausted, and suction is taking place in H Similar operations in a like sequence are performed in the other cylinders in due order, according to the follow ng table H. H H H 1st stroke Suction Compres- Firing... Exhaust.

S1011. 2nd stroke Compres Firing.... Exhaust. Suction.

sion.

3rd stroke Firing.... Exhaust.. Suction.. Compression. 4th stroke Exhaust... Suction Compres- Firing.

. sion.

It will thus be seen that an impulse given to the crank shaft at every stroke the piston, in the way which is usual in double-acting steam engines. Further it will be seen that the eifects of four Otto cycles performed upon the respective acting faces of the piston-member are concentrated upon a single crank. Since there are four explosion chambers it will also follow that the four phases of a complete Otto cycle will be performed in the engine at every stroke of the piston member. The Working of an engine constructed according to this invention will therefore be smooth, while a considerable power will be obtainable from an engine of small dimensions. The eiiicient cooling of the various working parts in the manner described will also materially aid the eilicient working of the engine.

It is not intended to restrict the present invention to the precise construction described, as various modifications may be made therein Without affecting the mode or sequence of operation. Any other form of valve gear than that described might for instance be employed.

What I claim as my invention and desire to secure by Letters Patent is In an internal combustion engine, the combination of an open-ended cylinder constructed with an annular partition intermediate its ends, and with inwardly-disposed annular portions at the ends thereof providing piston working cylinders with the cylinder body and said partition; an openended trunk piston having two working pis tons located, respectively, in said working cylinders and providing with each working cylinder two independent firing chambers; said trunk piston having its outer surface bearing against the surface of the partition, and its inner and outer end surfaces bearing, respectively, against the surfaces of said annular end portions and the cylinder body; said cylinder body, the partition, and said inwardly-disposed end portions constructed with communicating chambers for cooling water, and said open-ended cylinder and piston permitting of cooling by air; and fuel inlet and exhaust means for each of said firing chambers.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

J. PHILLIPS ORAwLnY, J. W. PATGHING.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents,

Washington, D. G.

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